Stairway Conversations: Hogan and CLP

It’s that time of year again: freshmen are finding out if they’ve been accepted into the Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program and the Comprehensive Leadership Program. It can be a stressful time — waiting for an answer is never fun — but it’s also a time that brings a lot of joy to people. That being said, it can be hard to navigate your way through your first big college involvement process.

Date: November 3, 2015

Building: Crosby

Staircase: Front steps

Overheard: “Did you get into CLP?”

The answer to this question doesn’t matter for the sake of this blog – and shouldn’t.

I want to start by saying two things:

If you got into either of these programs, I am truly so happy for you – you are going to grow and learn so much.

If you didn’t get into either of these programs, I want you to know that everything will be OK, and that this isn’t a measure of your worth.

Too many times at this point last year I heard so many people judging themselves based on their admission into these programs. And, while I understand that these are great programs, they are not the be-all and end-all of your college leadership experience. I encourage everyone who applied to these programs to take this – among other things – into perspective.

First, for a lot of you freshmen, this has been the first big interview process you have been through. That’s huge! Congratulations – and I mean it. Interviewing on such a large scale, for a seemingly big thing, is truly an accomplishment to be proud of. Think about it: now you have that much more experience under your belt – whether it’s writing an application, interviewing, or networking, you have grown.

It’s also OK to feel sad, but just remember to move on at some point. It makes me sad to say, but last year I heard someone say something along the lines of, “Well, I didn’t get into [insert program here], I guess that’s it.” And, that will be it – but only if you decide it is. It’s up to you to get up and try again. Never let yourself slow down because of a couple of rejections — because, in reality, this is only preparation for the real world. And here, just like “out there,” you can’t let things like this slow you down.

If you did get into one of these programs, I want to congratulate you — again. But I also want to challenge you to take things into perspective. I implore you to take into consideration the feelings of your peers that didn’t get in. Celebrate with your friends, celebrate with yourself, but remember to be there for them, too.

There are so many things to do on this campus – it’s kind of crazy. So, get back out there, try again – keep trying – because sooner or later something will fall perfectly into your life.